Adjustable quick-change electroholder for use in printing machines



June 27, 1933.

ADJUSTABLE QUICK-CHANGE ELECTROHOLDER FOR USE IN PRINTING MACHINES GBTIMU HT aH-r m l l l E. L. MUELLER 1,915,943

' Filed July 50, 1950 M afs' ATT Patented JuneA 27, 1933 UNITED STATES EMIL LMUELLER, OF RUTI-IERFORD, NEW JERSEY ADJUSTABLE miroir-CHANGE Enno'rRoHoLnnn non Usn 1N PRINTING MACHINES Application filed July so,

This inventiony relates to anadjustable quick-change electro-holder for use in printing,machines,' and an object ofthe invention is to provide an electro-holder Ywhich may be 6 preferably constructed to be held within an ordinary chase and in which electros of different sizes may be held in various adjusted positions and quickly and easily' attachable and removable.

A more detailed object is to provide an electro-holder consistingof a suitable rectangular base or block and having means constructed as a part thereof providing an adjustable manually operabley clamp for detachably holding the electrosof various sizes in operative position upon the face of said base or block. f

A further detailedobject is to provide simple, efficient and easily operable means for manually controlling the clamp elements employed.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out inthe course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be I so indicated in the appendedr claims.

In the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as a part of this specification, yand in which I have shown merely aA preferred form of embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a base or block constructed in accordance with .this invention and showing an electro clamped in position thereon.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken p 4o substantially upon the plane of line II-II of Fig. 1, and

Fi 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken su stantially upon the plane of line III-f III of Fig. 1. A i y Referring to the drawing for describing in detail the structure therein illustrated, the reference character L indicates a base or block upon Vthe upper surface of which is positioned the electro G, consisting .offa rectangular sheet of metal having prlnting char- 1930.v Serial No. 471,729.M

acters vas l upon its upper surface in .the usual manner. Its opposite longitudinal marginal edges as at 2 and 3 are beveled so that their lower portions project slightly beyond'their upper portions. y

Stops as 4 and 5 are arranged upon the upper surface of the block L for engaging the edge 3 of the electro, and clamp members 6 and are provided for engaging against .Y n the opposite edge 2 of the electro for. holding 60' the electro against displacement, the edge portions of the stops,'and of the clamp menibers which engage the edges of the electro being beveled to matethe bevel of the edges of the electro 'for collectively providing in, ef- 65 fect an under-cut groove within which the electro is engaged when the clamp members are pressed against it'.

The stops 4 and' are adjustably mounted A* upon the block L by identical means which includes ya screw 8 rotatably arranged within a bore 9 of the block. One end of the screw fits into a bearing 10 while the opposite end has a head'11 formed with radial openings 12 into which a detachable handle rod, such 75' as that indicated 13 Vin the drawing, may be insertedv for rotating the screw at the will of the operator. y'One face of the screw head engages against a surface as 14 of the block y while a strip as 15 engages the opposite sur- 80 face of the head, co-operative with the surface 14 to kprevent appreciable longitudinal movement of the screw. A threaded slidel is arranged within the bore 9v in engagement with the screw so as to be moved longitudinally of the screw and bore by 4rotation of the screw, and the stop 4 is fixed to 'this slide to move therewith along a slot 17.

The clamp members 6 and 7 are `mounted within slots 18 so as to be slidable towardand 90 away from the stops 4 and 5 respectively. Each is connected with a separate slide rod as 19 and these slide rods are slidable within bores QOprovided to receive them within the block L ybeneath the respectivel slots 18; 95 Screws or like fastening device as 21 are employed for connecting the clamp members or plates with the slide rods 19,`and compression springs as 22 are arranged for sliding the rods in a direction to urge the 'clamp mem- 100 bers against the electro. Extra holes as 23 may be provided through the clamp members and extra threaded sockets as 24 may be provided in the slide rods for facilitating attachment of the clamp members atv various different adjusted locations lengthwise of the slide rods thereby to enable. adjustment of the clamp members for enabling their proper co-operative action with electros of other widths than as illustrated in the drawing, as will be readily understood.

As a convenient and practical means for quickly and manually moving the clamp members out of clamping position at the will of the operator the present invention suggests the use of a rotatable shaft 25 mounted within a bore 26 of the block L extending transverse of the length of the slide rods and having its opposite ends projecting into openings as 27 and formed with apertures as 28 adapted to receive a detachable handle rod, such as that indicated 13 above mentioned. At appropriate points in its length this shaft is cut away to provide notches as 29 into which the adjacent ends of the. slide rods 19 extend. The remaining portions of the shaft at these notches are shaped to provide cam surfaces as 30 adapted, when the shaft is rocked by the handle 13, to impinge against the ends of the slide rods and slide said slide rods against the pressure of the springs 22, thereby moving the clamp members sufficiently far from the electro to enable the electro to be freely lifted away from its position upon the surface of the block. After a new electro has been placed in position against the stop 4 the operator simply rotates the shaft again to its original position thereby releasing the clamp members and allowing the springs to press them forcefully into gripping position against the new electro.

It is important to note that, when rotating the shaft to release an electro, if the shaft be turned for a distance of approximately 900, as suggested by the two positions shown for the detachable handle 13, the Cam surfaces 30 of the shaft will be thereby moved out of engagement with the ends of the slide rods and portions of said shaft which are concentri-c with the axis of rotation will be brought into engagement with said ends, as will be readily understood from Fig. 2 of the drawing. In this position the slide rods will be locked in their open or electro-releasing position and will remain so locked until the shaft is rotated again to present the cam surfaces toward the ends of the shaft.

By the means thus shown and described it is possible to quickly and easily attach and remove electros. It is possible to use electros of various diflierent sizes, and it is also possible to place the electros' in a wide range of different positions of adjustment upon the surface of the block L.

The device is entirely self contained and may be freely handled for placing into and vout of a chase for use at any time.

As many changes could be made in` this construction without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a quick-change electro-holder, a block having a surface upon which the electro may rest, said block also having a shoulder thereon against'which an edge of the electro may engage, a plurality of independently movable clamp members each movable in a direction toward and away from said shoulder, said clamp members each providing a second shoulder inopposed relation to the first shoulder adapted to engage an opposite edge of the elect-ro, springs carried by said block connected for independently urging the clamp members to clamping position, a shaft rotatably carried by the block extending common to said clamp members, and said shaft having cam parts having operative association with said clamp members to move the clamp memy' bers out of clamping position against the pressure of said springs by rotation of the shaft in one direction.

2. In a quick-change electro-holder, a block having a surface upon which the electro may rest, said block also having a shoulder thereon against which an edge4 of the electro may engage, a plurality of independently movable clamp members each movable in a direction toward and away vfrom said shoulder, said clamp members each Yproviding a second shoulder in opposed relation to the first shoulder adapted to engage an opposite edge of the electro, a shaft rotatably carried by the block extending commonto said clamp members, and said sha-ft and clamp members having parts co-operative to move the clamp members by rotation of the shaft.V

3. In a quick-change electro-holder, a block` having a surface upon which the electro may rest, said block also having a shoulder thereon against which an edge of the electro may engage, a clamp member movable toward and Cne away from said shoulder, said clamp member' providing a second shoulder in opposed relation to the first shoulder adapted to engage an opposite edge of the electro, a spring urging the clamp member to clamping position, a shaft rotatably carried by said block, extendin thereo substantially parallel Vwith the electroreceiving surface ofthe block and having at least one of its end portions formed with radially facing openings adapted to receive a tool wherewith to rotate the shaft, vsaid longitudinally from side to side shaped to constitute a cam operable upon the mentioned portion of the clamp member to move the clamp member by rotation of the shaft.

4. In a quick-change electro-holder, a block having a surface upon which the electro may rest, said block also having a shoulder there; on against which an edge of the electro may engage, a plurality of independently movable clamp members each movable ina direction toward and away from said shoulder, said clamp members each providing a second shoulder in opposed relation to the first shoulder adapted to engage an opposite edge of the electro7 a shaft rotatably carried by the block extending common to said clamp members, and said shaft having spaced portions of its length disposed for engaging said clamp members, said portions each being of cam shape operable upon the clamp members respectively to move the clamp members by rotation ofthe shaft.

5. In a quick-change electro-holder, a block Y having a surface upon which the electro may rest, said block also having a shoulder thereon against which an edge of the electro may engage, a plurality of independently movable clamp members each movable in a direction toward and away froml said shoulder, said clamp members each providing a second shoulder in opposed relation to the first shoulder adapted to engage an opposite edge of the electro, a shaft rotatably carried by the block extending common to said clamp members, spring means urging the clamp members to clampingposition independent of each other, and said shaft having spaced portions of its length disposed for engaging said clamp members, said portions each being of oam shape operable upon the clainp members respectively to move the clamp members out of clamping position-#rn'en the shaft is rotated to one position and to permit the spring .means to hold the clamp members unopposed in [lamping position when the shaft is rotatif'd to another position.

6,. In a quick-change electro-holder, a block hailing a surface upon which the electro may rest, said block also having a shoulder thereon against which an edge of the electro may engage, a plurality of independently movable clamp members each movable in av direction toward and away from said shoulder, said clamp members each providing -a second shoulder in opposed relationA to the first shoulder adapted to engage an opposite edge of the electro, a shaft rotatably carried by the block extending common to said clamp members, spring meansl urging the clamp members to clamping position independent of each other, and said shaft having spaced portions of its length disposed for engaging said clamp members, said portions each being of cam shape operable when the shaft is in one rotated position to permit the spring members to hold the clamp members unopposed in clamping position, and operable when the shaft is being rotated toward another position to move said clamp members in unison in a direction out of clamping position and operable when the shaft has been rotated to said other position to lock the clamp membersin non-clamping position.

In testmony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

EMIL L. MUELLER.y 

